


Metanoia

by cryinghoe



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Cute Ending, F/M, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Not Beta Read, Sokka (Avatar) Being An Idiot, Toph can see, We Die Like Men, Young Lin and Suyin, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25605175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryinghoe/pseuds/cryinghoe
Summary: “You’re the idiot who took my coins and seashells, aren’t you!?”
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 1
Kudos: 34





	1. Costume

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVED THIS IDEA SO MUCH!! toph can see and she’s a mermaid. get a load of this multi-talented woman! i love tokka more than anything sooo :,) i think this is such a cute lil story, have fun reading

I

Sokka moved out to Ember Island for tranquility and peace that was far away from most of his friends. He worked for a travelling construction company, specifically in the electricity department. It was him and a few other men, just trying to make sure everything was working and making electricity come into the houses. The pay provided him just enough to live comfortably by the beach, something that he had enjoyed his entire life. 

His little cottage on the beach was full of trinkets that he had been picking up near the beach. Every night, he went out to the beaches and picked up trinkets that had been left before. There was a specific area protected by rocks, in the water and near the cliff, that had dozens of little items collecting in the sand. He had taken a few of the seashells and coins, finding them fascinating. They rested in his white windowsill, shining when the light hit them.

“Boys, I’ll let you all go early today,” His boss comes walking in from the hallway, “It feels like a thousand degrees and we don’t have air conditioning here. We still got three months to finish this and we’re nearly done. I’m proud of you boys.”

His co-workers let out a sigh of relief, all leaving to go back to their air conditioned homes in the city. Sokka didn’t mind the heat, but it certainly wasn’t his favorite. It was one of the many things that came with living on Ember Island--hot days and cool nights. Instead of going immediately home, he decided that if any day was going to be nice to swim, it was today. Stripping down to his boxers, he trekked in quickly, the ocean water being shockingly cool for how hot it was.

He was an excellent swimmer, he was so used to being surrounded by water. It was one of his favorite pastimes--to relax in the water and let the waves carry him. He swam around the cliff, being able to walk as well, the water wasn’t too deep very close to the cliff, but any further and Sokka would’ve had to swim. A shadow crossed by him quickly, making him turn around to look. It seemed like a fish, but no fish was that fast. He studied the water as it moved with the shadow and watched as it was hidden where the trinkets usually were.

He couldn’t move nearly as fast as the shadow could, but he was pumping his arms and legs to the best of his abilities. There was a woman there, with long inky black hair that drifted off into the water. Her arms were pale, despite the sun. She clinged to the rock, going through his area of trinkets he found.

“Hey, what are you doing?” He asked and she turned around instantly.

She was shocked and her hair was completely peeled back, allowing for the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen to be on display. They were certainly green, but they weren’t emerald green. They were glazed over, but she was looking right at him. 

“...Why are you asking?” She returns the question.  
“Because those are little trinkets behind you and I don’t want you stealing them, I think they’re very pretty.” Sokka shrugs, now standing in the water.

“...But, they’re mine.” She blinks, turning back around to her pile of trinkets and messing around with them.

“Yeah, sure,” He sarcastically speaks, “They’re just sitting there because they’re yours.”

“You’re the idiot who took my coins and seashells, aren’t you?!” She turns around, quickly. Her hair flung as she did so, and suddenly his stomach rolled over with guilt.

“Yeah, but I promise I’m taking care of them,” He backs away as she comes forward, swimming instead of walking, “I mean, I can always give them back--”

“--No, keep them, I have better ones.” She ends up in front of him, looking him up and down.

Sokka looks to the water and doesn’t spot her legs, but instead an emerald green tail. 

“Why do you have a tail? Is it some costume?” 

“Costume? No, lily-liver, I’m a mermaid.”

Silence passed between them for a moment. Her milky eyes are looking at him up and down as he stares at her in shock. His father used to tell him tales of mermaids, how they weren’t dangerous but it was sirens that he had to look out for. Sailors were targeted by sirens, trying to offset them from their mission, something that Sokka had feared… But… she didn’t seem dangerous. Her chest was bare, something that he found distracting, but he was respectable. She had seemed a little… aggressive, to say the least but he wasn’t horrified. 

“So… what’s your name, miss mermaid?” He raises a brow.

“Toph. What’s yours?” She asks.

“Sokka. You have a pretty name.” Sokka smiles.

She smiles and he couldn’t tell if her face was pink from the sun or the compliment, either way, it was adorable. She swims around him, before coming back around. He could tell he was being studied, she probably didn’t get to see humans often, so he wasn’t upset. Sokka could understand studying something to understand it--he had to do that at work all the time.

“I should get back to my duties. Will I see you tomorrow?” She blinks, tilting her head.

“Sure, Toph.” He nods and she waves, before diving under and swimming away, like the shadow he once saw.


	2. Swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You came back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im pumping out more!! giving you the tokka that we need!!

II

“Do you have a lady to get back to?” One of his coworkers asks.

“No, but I love the ocean.” Sokka nods, carefully focusing on the wires in the house.

“Ooh, I get that. I have a kid to get home to.” He’s installing the window.

Most people didn’t speak on the job, because the team would always switch depending on what city the worker went to. There would always be some workers that stayed, but the team always tried getting new workers onto the site so that the people who needed money could make money. 

“Yeah? Son or daughter?” Sokka steps back for a second, going over to the light switch.

“Daughter. She just turned six last week.” His voice is full of love, something that made the other man's heart ache. 

“That is adorable, Yato. I hope someday that I have a kid.” He nods.

The conversation faded after that, nobody got too close on the team since they would move so quickly. When the team was dismissed, Sokka nearly ran to his cottage to change into swimwear. The trinkets sat on his window as he changed… they reminded him of her. Her pale skin that glimmered like those seashells in the sunlight. Looking out the window, he watched as the end of a green tail came up from the waves. A warmth filled his heart and he ran outside, kicking up sand as he did so. He ran over to their tiny meetup, ignoring the water that was beginning to come up to his chest.

“You came back!” She yelled, waving to him.

“I told you I would!” He laughed as he came up to her.

They talked until sunset, laughing and enjoying each other's company, swimming around while trying to hide Toph’s tail. The duo swam back to the cliff as the moon radiated down on them. He didn’t know how late it was getting, but at the same time, he couldn’t care less. He had the next day off, allowing the other team to come in.

“So, you can come out of water but only for a little bit?” He asks, sitting on the rock.

“Yeah, I’ll start puking and stuff… I wish I could get out, though.” She sighs sadly, leaning on the rock next to him.

“Well, how long can you come out for?” Sokka perks up, an idea bursting in his head.

“From dawn to moonlight.” Toph answers.

“Are you kidding--that’s a whole day! Tomorrow, you and I are going out on the town. I’ll cut a shirt of mine for you and you can wear a pair of my shorts. How does that sound?” He grins, running a hand through his drying hair.

“I would love that! I’ve never been out for that long, I’ve only gone out for… nothing! I’ve never really gone out of water.” She grins back and laughs excitedly.

“Okay, okay, great! I live on the only cottage here, it’s to the right of this cliff. Do you wanna go to sleep now and then see each other soon?” His voice picks up speed from excitement.

“I can’t wait.” She laughs, pushing her hair back and moving back from the cliff.

“Well.. I’ll see you tomorrow, Toph.” He stands up.

“Bye, meathead!” 

The comforting splash of her swimming away made him feel warm inside. He had never connected with someone like that, it felt like a best friend he had been missing out on for awhile. The sand is still warm under his feet, as is the breeze. It never got cold in Ember Island, which is something that he was going to miss if he ever left. 

His cottage was untouched from when he had hurriedly left to go see Toph, something that made him laugh. He picks up the clothes and tosses them into his laundry basket. He grabs one of his red shirts, cutting it up to be smaller. He didn’t know her exact measurements, she was a mermaid but… it looked about right.

Sokka yawned, placing the red shirt near the table where the trinkets were. It was something that he was beginning to cherish when he wasn’t near Toph. Toph. Toph. Toph. Her hair fell down to her waist, her tail was emerald green, her skin was pale. She was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.

He rests his head on his pillow with the idea of holding the pale woman close to his chest, falling asleep to the idea of burying his face in her soft hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE YOU!! anyway so i’m going to be writing a slow-burn next. i do not usually write those kinds of things, but i’m excited to you all to read it! it’s probably going to be one of the longest things i’ve written, but i’m going to put the first chapter out soon! <3


	3. Walking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY I FORGOT TO UPDATE THIS SO HERE WE GO! (p.s everything is already pre-written but i have been focusing on Bruising Peaches)

III

The rattling of his door startled him awake, making him run over to the door quickly. He opened it, ready to yell at someone, but there Toph was. Absolutely naked in his doorway. A startled noise escaped him, but the short woman shoved past him, looking for something to cover herself with. She grabbed the red shirt and used it to cover her lower half.

“Toph… do you know what time it is?” He yawned.

“Yeah! Really early.” She nods.

“I mean… I get it, you had to come as soon as you could, but I am not done sleeping…” He whines.

“You can go back to bed, Snoozles, I won’t destroy your home.” She adds.

“Come nap with me? Unless you're wide awake… I have a shirt on the other chair that’ll fit you like a dress.” Sokka walks over to his bed, landing on his stomach.

He makes himself comfortable, but notices the way that his bed shifts as she lays in it, tentatively. The man rolls around to see her, but she’s already eyes closed in his pillow. He wants to wrap his arm around her, but doesn’t. It was her personal space and he wasn’t going to intrude unless she intruded his first. Which didn’t take long, she was sprawled over him instantly.

They only slept for a few hours, but Toph woke up first. She was studying her human legs, noticing the strength and tone of her legs. She looked over to Sokka, who had his arms securely around him and their legs were tangled. He was warm, something that she secretly enjoyed.

“...Morning, mermaid.” He yawns.

“Morning, Snoozles. Did you sleep well?” She asks.

“Oh, yeah. You’re pretty wild when you sleep.” He detaches himself from her, much to her dismay.

“What do you mean?” She stands up, stretching her arms.

“Yeah, you rolled up to me pretty quickly.” Sokka nods.

“What--No! You rolled up to me!” Toph answers, defending herself quickly.

They got dressed together, letting the silly argument drop. She was watching as he looked for a pair of pants for her, before handing her a pair of unused boxers that happened to match the red shirt he had cut up for her. She looked cute, something that Sokka wouldn’t have admitted aloud to her.

They walked out on the town, hand in hand so that Toph didn’t wander off. Although, they both knew that, that wasn’t the truth. Lunch was meat covered in fire flakes, something that made the woman pant with how spicy it was, making Sokka laugh and handing her some water, something that she chugged down eagerly. It seemed to give her more energy, something that he noted in the back of his head.

“So, did you like the turkey?” He asks, swinging their hands.

“Yeah, but it was so damn spicy! I wasn’t expecting that, I usually just eat food that isn’t spicy, spirits, you humans just have no care for your tastebuds.” She shakes her head.

“I mean yeah! That’s the whole fun of eating!” Sokka laughs as Toph shakes her head.  
Toph was absolutely involved in human culture. They were so close, so loud. She didn’t mind, taking in the sights and pointing something out to Sokka. He was so invested in what she was saying, although he already knew what she was talking about. He was the nicest human that she had interacted with--she shouldn’t have been getting attached but she was.

Toph was utterly smitten with Sokka, but she hadn’t ever liked someone before. Especially someone that wasn’t like her. They had a whole barrier between them--mermaid and human. It brought her down as they traveled around the city, and whatever he was saying became white noise.

“Toph, hey, are you alright?” He asked softly, taking her off to the side in an alley.

“I… I’m fine.” She shakes out of her thoughts.

“You can talk to me.” He offers, attempting to empathize with her.

“You can also drop it.” She was adamant, she didn’t want to drag him down with her.

“...Okay. Alright, I’ll drop it. But, I’m here if you need me.” Sokka sighs.

“Thanks.” She smiles at him, which brightens his mood as well.

The duo walks back into the town, moods lifting as they continue to walk around. Toph goes into multiple shops, instantly intrigued by the metals in the store. She was walking around in one store and Sokka was amazed to find out--Toph bends metal. It curls to her fingers and does whatever she wants at her manipulation. He instantly buys her whatever she wants, which was metal from a space meteorite that she wears on her bicep.

“This has been an amazing day, Sokka.” She clings to his arm, laughing as they walk back to his cottage.

“I’ll take you out any day that you’d like! I’ll be here for a while, I’m thinking about permanently staying.” Sokka admits to Toph.

“Really? I’d recommend it, but I’ve heard that there is this crazy mermaid.” Toph laughs, making Sokka laugh along with her.

Dinner was a simple fish fry that Sokka made on the beach, turning on music that she danced to while he cooked. They were quiet at dinner, enjoying their presence together. After finishing, they decided to go sit in his cottage and relax. Toph rested her legs on his lap, trying to ignore how her feet had hurt.

“Do your feet hurt?” Toph asks.

“No, why?” Sokka felt his concern begin to rise.

“Oh. Well, my feet hurt and I think it’s because I’m not used to walking.” She shrugs, resting her head back on her shoulder.

Midnight was approaching and he wasn’t looking forward to it. She was so small in his lap and she fit in his lap like a puzzle piece. There weren’t any mentions of what they were doing, there were no questions. It felt right, like the next logical step.

“I… I should go.” Toph stands up and Sokka’s heart pangs.

Silence holds them in a blanket as they walk to the water. Toph sighs, holding his hand close as she begins to walk into the water, he follows as they walk. Before they even got ankle deep, her feet were disappearing and she clutched onto him, yelping when her knees gave out.

“I’ll just carry you, how does that sound?” Sokka laughed softly.

She nods, lifting her arms as they walk together. He can feel her hammering heartbeat against him and soon enough, he’s neck deep with her in his arms. She floats away from him, but they’re existing peacefully.

“...Toph, I--”

She swims at him, arms wrapping around his neck and their lips mash together. Her lips were soft, his were chapped. His hands rests on her lower back, gently grazing the scales there. They were gentle against his palms and fingertips.

“--You talk a lot.” Toph laughs softly, pressing her forehead against his.


	4. Oceanside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS THE ENDING HEHE

IV

[Ten years later]

“Lin! Suyin! You little--” Sokka groans, running as fast as he could after the small girls who were giggling and running circles around him, “--I’m gonna get you two!”

He catches them in his buff arms, laughing as they squeal and shift. Lin was 6 while Suyin was 4, two gems in a world that Sokka wanted to fight off against. They were his pride and joy, he held them so close to his heart.

“Daddy, put me down, put me down!” Lin laughs and he sets both of them down, but they quickly run off together, going to color in the coloring book that his sister got him, sending them to the island that he still lived on.

He watches them with a smile creasing his face, both having inky dark hair. Lin was paler but tanned like it was as simple as breathing, but Suyin was more his skin tone and burned up often in the sun. Nonetheless, he had them wearing sunscreen at all times when they went outside.

“Daddy!” Suyin yells, coming rushing to his legs.

“What’s up, sweetheart?” He lifts her up, seeing her little fists clenched around something.

“I found this on the floor!” She opens her fists, revealing a seashell.

A seashell. It was white and peach colored with carving and sharp edges, something that Suyin didn’t cut her little sensitive hands on. He gently grabbed it out of her hands, looking at it up close.

“I got this from your mother.” He smiles.

“Mom? Where is Mom?” Suyin tilts her head and Sokka looks out the window.

“...I’ll go see if Mom is around, how does that sound?” He sets her back down, with her eagerly nodding.

He slipped his shoes on, with Lin and Suyin following him on his tail. They looked like her in every way, something that made his heartache. It surely was difficult raising them, but it never stopped them, they worked around it. He walked in the sand, slowly and the girls slowed behind him. They watched and listened attentively as Sokka slowly walked into the water.

Almost on command, there she was. Her tail flicked in and out of the water, something that made Sokka shiver with anticipation. She stood up as quickly as she could, relying on Sokka to help her stand and immediately shift into human. They shared a quick kiss, before their daughters excitedly squealed.

“Momma!” Lin laughs and rushes towards her, holding her leg as Suyin did the same.

“It’s so good to see you, my little gems.” She laughed and looked up to Sokka.

Being married to a mermaid was one of the most difficult and unique things that he had done, but he wouldn’t do it with any other mermaid than Toph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in which we ignore that kanto is lin’s dad and we accept tokka as endgame. <3 i hope everyone enjoyed! i am working on Bruising Peaches as we speak!! have a wonderful day or night, bye!!

**Author's Note:**

> i hope y’all are ready for more! <3


End file.
